Vytal Tournament, Team VRDN's Journey
by NuttyBuddy792
Summary: Follow the exploits of Team VRDN as they go through the Vytal tournament in Season 3 of RWBY. Parallel to MaleficKing9001's CLST AU. Reviews welcome, critiques requested,


**Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, tis your Nutty Buddy back with his first foray into the RWBY universe here. This began as a practice story for writing action scenes, something I desperately need practice on, and what better universe to practice in than the RWBY Universe? These are not my OCs, but instead my friend's OCs (he has requested to remain unnamed and so I shall respect his privacy), and if you have any questions, feel free to ask!**

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**The Following is a non-profit fan-based fanfiction. RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. Please support the official Release!**

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The sun was shining brightly over Beacon Academy, a gorgeous autumn afternoon adding to the overall good cheer of the Vytal Festival. The union of cultures from all four kingdoms was one of the most talked about events throughout the land, especially the famous Vytal tournament. Easily one of the most watched tournaments in the world, the Vytal Tournament was both a matter of pride for each kingdom and a method of identifying the up and coming talents that were the land's future Huntsmen and Huntresses. It was with that sense of pride that brought Gwyn Vyrner's stomach into a nervous flutter as he led his team down the tunnel that would take them into the massive arena. Last year they had been knocked out of the tournament in the second round, still a rather impressive feat for a first year team all things considered, but it had left Team VRDN hungry for more. Gwyn hadn't known it back then, but a simple inquiry to Professor Goodwitch after their loss had really brought home the enormity of that tournament. That, and Coco's relentless teasing after Yatsuhashi had singlehandedly dragged Team CFVY to the 1v1 finals in what she had labeled "the world's biggest stage" had made Gwyn all the more determined to do well in this, in terms of his wager with Coco and an eagerness to prove to the world that Beacon Academy was still the best in all the land.

"You ok Gwyn?" Nikki asked, grasping his shoulder. She was an expert at reading his moods, which was both a blessing and a curse in Gwyn's opinion. She'd spiked up her multicolored hair into a mohawk for the occasion, ready to do battle with everything she had. "You getting nervous on us?"

"You're going to have to get a hold of those nerves," Ruse said quickly. "The last thing we need is you freezing up on the battlefield."

"You can't really fault him for having some butterflies at this point," Diti intervened, gripping her bow tightly. "I'd be shocked if you weren't nervous."

"How can you be nervous?" Ruse asked, a hint of incredulity in her tone. "We've already been through this stage before and we won then." She pulled back her sleeve on her metal arm and flicked the small switch that would switch her arm from normal mode to combat mode, which had been installed to prevent any accidental firings of the Dust rounds hidden within that arm. It was always better to be safe than sorry when she could fire a powerful blast of some element with a mere thought

Gwyn spoke up for the first time. "I just don't want to let you guys down. I'm your team leader, it's my fault if we lose."

"It's also your fault if we win," Nikki pointed out. "Besides, like Ruse said, we've been through this stage before. We're a year older and we don't have to worry about third or fourth year teams until next year, so I reckon we'll be favorites to win the whole damn thing!"

"Let's just win the first round first before worrying about the whole junior tournament," Gwyn said, plucking the hilt of Ecglead off his hip. He held up his weapon. "You guys ready?" His three teammates touched their weapons to his, a simple affirmative spoken, before they reached the edge of the tunnel. They could see past the entrance and hear the roar of the crowd as the previous two teams left, one team jubilant while the other despondent.

"That was certainly a thrilling fight," the voice of Professor Port boomed through the loudspeakers. "But it looks like it'll be Team CFVY of Beacon Academy moving on to the second round." It amused Gwyn at just how Port was easily the dullest teacher of Beacon Academy, but proved that he was an excellent commentator. Perhaps there was something about the difference between teaching and commentating that made Port the perfect choice for color commentary. Maybe it had to do with his fellow commentator.

"Yes, they've done a magnificent job," the voice of Professor Oobleck added quickly, though not too quickly, at least for his rapid standards. "But I say it's high time we meet our next competitors. First off, from the hot lands of Vacuo and representing Shade Academy, let's give a warm Vale welcome to Team CBLT!" Team VRDN could hear the applause of the crowd in the tunnel, including a loud triple whoop from what they assumed to be the Vacuo fans in the crowd.

"While they didn't make it past the qualifiers last year, it looks like Team CBLT is ready to make quite the impression this year," Port observed. "Team CBLT is comprised of Lilo Makani, Brans Hoplyte, Terry Lyon, and is led by Cole Ozak." There was some more polite applause.

"And of course, we can't forget their opponents," Oobleck continued, playing off his partner's pause. "From right here in Vale, representing Beacon Academy, Team VRDN!" With that cue, Team VRDN entered the arena. Despite having been in this scenario before, Gwyn was still awed by the size of the crowd. A part of him wondered if his old friend Dani was in the crowd. He smiled to himself. Of course Dani was in the crowd, she wouldn't miss this event for the world.

"Team VRDN certainly made a bit of a splash last year, advancing to the 2v2 rounds before getting knocked out by the eventual Junior Division champions, Team MINT from Shade Academy," Port informed the crowd, "And I'm sure they're ready to go even further this year! Team VRDN's members are Ruse Brand, Nickel Ryd, Diti Indi, and are led by Gwyn Vyrner." He paused to let the crowd applaud the competitors.

"You know, when he puts it like that, our loss wasn't all that bad last year, huh Gwyn?" Nikki said cheerfully to Gwyn as she waved to the crowd.

"Honeyed words can only sooth the sting of defeat, they can never completely take it away," Gwyn replied solemnly, looking across the arena to their opponents. The apparent leader, Cole, stood confidently in front of his three teammates. He stood a little shorter than Gwyn, his short dark blue hair moving slightly in the breeze. He wore dark clothing, navy blue pants with an icy blue t-shirt, a black leather jacket over that. Gwyn took note of the weapon attached to his wrists, pitch black triple metal claws, with small holes near the base indicating some form of ranged weaponry. The Team VRDN leader figured they were probably some form of small arms fire, but he was probably going to figure out soon enough. Once thing was for certain, he was ready for battle.

His teammates looked similarly ready for battle in their own unique ways. The lone female of the group appeared to be rather eager in fact, hopping from foot to foot and twirling a bo staff casually. Gwyn took note of how lightly she was actually hopping, wondering if that was a part of her Semblance. She wore a brightly colored floral skirt and a bright multicolored neon t-shirt, neon blue fingerless gloves adorning the hands gripping the staff tightly. Her bright green hair was held back by a floral headband, long enough to tickle her shoulders. She was petite, looking as though she could float away on the next breeze, but her lilac colored eyes indicated a fierce determination. Lilo wasn't going to be an easy target, Gwyn decided. Then there was the Faunus, Terry. How could Gwyn tell he was a Faunus? The lion tail twitching behind the well-built man. Terry certainly seemed to embrace his lion heritage, his orange hair styled around his head like a mane and his face had a cat-like quality to it. He wore a black jacket lined with red trimmings, white jeans and black boots rounding off his ensemble. He had a black-bladed flamberge with a bright red hilt strapped to his back, matching his color scheme, though Gwyn wondered what long-range weapon it would turn into.

The final member of their team, Brans, was the biggest of their group, standing a head taller than Cole and dressed in bronze armor similar to Pyrrha's, albeit for the male gender. As if to add to the stereotype, he wore a galea and held a gladiatorial spear and a large aspis shield, his brown eyes the only feature visible under the galea. That shield was going to be problematic, but not insurmountable. Any further observations of the opposing team was interrupted when Cole stepped forward, extending a hand to Gwyn.

"Best of luck," he said coolly. "Hope you don't hold it against us when we beat you."

Gwyn accepted the handshake, even if he wasn't amused by the trash talk, if it could even be called that. "Pretty big assumption coming from a first timer."

Cole snorted. "Just cause this is our first tournament doesn't mean you're going to walk all over us."

"Then why don't we let our blades to the talking," Gwyn finished, releasing the handshake and stepping back. The customary banter out of the way, he was ready to get this battle done. He held Ecglead in his left hand, not active yet. The field wasn't quite set.

"After a friendly handshake, I think these two teams are ready to do battle," Oobleck's voice announced, "So let's see what battlefield they'll be fighting on!"

"Yes indeed," Port agreed, "As we all know, the battlefield can prove a deciding factor in many a match." Several holographic screens popped up around the eight sectors of the arena, spinning like it was a slot machine. In a way it was, Gwyn realized, as Port's words were truer that he was willing to admit. He just hoped it was something not too crazy. The holograms began to slow on their half first, stopping on a picture of a forest. The sections behind them slid under the arena, a forested battlefield rising up behind them. Gwyn nodded approvingly, as Diti could use the forest to her advantage, both with her outfit and with her Semblance. Then the holograms began to slow down on CBLT's side. The outline of a broken city. Great.

"At least I don't have to worry about breaking anything important," Nikki joked as the ruins of a simulated city rose up on the other side of the battlefield.

"Any ideas?" Diti asked quietly, holding her bow tightly.

Gwyn's mind was racing as he thought about the possibilities opened up and closed off thanks to this battlefield. "Diti, Ruse, you two are going to secure the woods. Diti, use anything you can to get hidden and provide cover fire for Ruse." The two young women nodded, sharing a glance between one another.

"And what about you two?" Ruse asked, eyebrow raised.

"We're gonna cause some chaos in the streets," Gwyn answered, getting a cackle out of Nikki.

"Now you're speaking my language!" she laughed, hefting Evanescer in its assault rifle form.

"We'll use these to stay in communication if you need help," Gwyn finished, tossing Ruse a small earpiece. He would've said more, but was interrupted.

"Now that we have our battlefield, let's begin the battle!" Port announced. "Are you ready Professor?"

"Doctor!" Oobleck corrected automatically. "And yes. Three!" Gwyn activated Ecglead, the dark green blade smoothly forming its lethal edge. It felt great in his hand today, even with the relatively recent addition he had made to its hilt, but he wanted to save that surprise for when it really counted. "Two!" He brought his blade up in his customary battle stance, a double handed grip above his head, blade pointed at his foes. "One!" The VRDN leader gripped his weapon tighter. No more waiting. No more training. Time for action. "Begin!"

Immediately Gwyn darted to the side, as Brans had changed his spear into a sniper rifle, judging by the single shots he fired, not that Gwyn had any time to observe exactly what it was, as he was too busy dodging attacks from said sniper rifle. Cole had come at him, claws extended during his dodge and Gwyn was forced to parry a swipe of those claws. Almost immediately he felt Cole try to yank his weapon out of his hand and Gwyn realized those claws were literally a counter to most sword blades. Thankfully, he wasn't fighting alone. An arrow came zipping between them, as Cole had moved at the last second to avoid the arrow and gave Gwyn some breathing room. The VRDN leader spared a look of gratitude at Diti before she and Ruse darted off into the woods, Brans and Terry giving chase.

"Come on!" Nikki shouted, having already blasted her way onto a pile of rubble in the ruined city, quite literally. Gwyn smirked as he scampered up after her. At least Team CBLT was obliging him in his hastily concocted battle plan. A part of him was flattered that they had tried to take him out early. He could see the logic behind it at least. Cut off the head of the snake and all that. Still, while Gwyn considered himself an important part of the team, he was confident that his teammates would at least be able to win without him if Team CBLT's plan had succeeded. A glance back informed the VRDN leader that it was Cole and Lilo following them, Lilo almost gliding along the ground. Some sort of levitation Semblance? Gwyn resolved to figure it out quickly, as that unknown factor could prove vital to the battle.

"Think you can take on our clawed friend?" Gwyn asked Nikki, a wry smile on his face. There was no one he'd rather have fighting by his side right now. He hoped that after the Vytal festival she'd be open to taking their relationship a little further. However, this wasn't the time to be thinking about that.

"No problem!" Nikki replied as they turned to face their oncoming opponents on the uneven streets of the ruined city. She shifted her multicolored weapon into its melee form, the two-handed broadsword she loved. Nikki hefted her blade in one hand, using the other to signal Cole that she wanted to tangle. Gwyn chuckled as he realized the censors weren't going to enjoy that if they caught that shot, and with the number of cameras around, it would be impossible for them to not have caught it.

Gwyn simply used a hand to create a green and black fireball with his Semblance, tossing it at the onrushing Lilo. To his surprise, she spun her bo staff and literally blew his fireball out. A strong gust of wind buffeted him and the VRDN leader finally realized what her Semblance was. "You can control the winds!"

"And you the flames," Lilo replied, eyeing him warily. She kept her staff twirling, keeping that momentum going. Gwyn respected that, as momentum was key for any staff user to not be thrown off balance. Lilo spoke again. "Take care that my winds don't snuff you out."

"You should take care not to fuel my fire," Gwyn replied.

"Lilo, now's not the time for flirting!" Cole shouted as he ducked a mighty swing from Nikki, who turned the miss into a roundhouse kick that Cole blocked.

"Yeah, he's mine anyways!" Nikki added, winking at the VRDN leader. She was about to push her attack when an ice wall sprang up between them. "What the-"

'_Oh lovely, we're dealing with elementalists,'_ Gwyn thought. He sprang towards Lilo, intent on not giving her a chance to unleash the winds. He thrust _Ecglead_ out, which she parried with one end of her staff and struck with the other. Gwyn ducked under that, going through a kata that was a balance of both offense and defense, the perfect kata for feeling out his opponent's fighting style. She leaped over his head, thrusting out with the bo staff again and Gwyn parried. By the time he'd spun to strike at where she'd landed, Lilo was already in the air again, this time landing a strike to his shoulder. She was fast. Acrobatic too. Gwyn could feel the pulses of air she used to add to her jumps. He shifted his stance, beginning a mental count. The VRDN leader was beginning to figure out the pattern. _Ecglead _pinged off the bo staff as he defended himself from her acrobatic strikes. It pained him to go full defense, but he was willing to endure it for the win. Another few mental counts, one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four, then Gwyn exploded forward as Lilo came down for yet another landing. Lilo's eyes grew wide as she realized he had shifted to the offense, using her Semblance to try and back away from the onrushing VRDN leader.

Gwyn grinned as his blade knifed through the wind, allowing him to essentially ignore her wind blast and land a blow to her exposed stomach. Pressing the attack, he slashed at her twice more, beginning his first kata he had revealed to her. She was good, blocking his attacks and moved her bo staff to counter what would've been his third strike, but Gwyn was changing things up this time. With a flick of his thumb, _Ecglead _transformed into a compact shotgun that Gwyn fired at Lilo, catching her off guard once more and causing her hasty leap to turn into an undignified crash. The VRDN leader took advantage of the opening to check on Nikki. She was holding her own against Cole, but he had seized the initiative in their battle. Gwyn cocked _Ecglead_, the used fire Dust shell popping out, and charged. If he could get the drop on Cole, perhaps it would turn the tide of the battle. Nikki saw him coming over Cole's shoulder, unable to hide a grin as she barely parried another slash with _Evanescer_.

Lilo's voice rang out, carried by the winds she commanded. "Watch out Cole!" That brought a scowl to Gwyn's face. So much for the element of surprise. Cole turned, saw Gwyn taking aim, and crouched down. Ice formed all around him, creating a protective barrier against the blast from _Ecglead_ and the slash from _Evanescer_. Nikki met Gwyn's eyes and he nodded.

**"GET OUT HERE!"** Nikki Shouted, her Semblance shattering the ice bubble, much to Cole's surprise. Before team VRDN could press their advantage, a gust of wind blew both of them away from Cole. Gwyn held a hand out, trusting Nikki to catch him. He was rewarded as he felt her hand grasp his, Nikki having stuck _Evanescer_ in the ground as an anchor against the fierce wind. With his added weight, the two were able to withstand the gale.

"Now that's a proper display of teamwork from both teams," Port's voice echoed around the stadium.

"And quite the dramatic display of Semblances too," Oobleck added.

_'Sure hope Ruse and Diti are having better luck,'_ Gwyn thought to himself as he and Nikki squared off against Cole and Lilo.

**VRDN Line Break**

Ruse Brand was in the zone. At first glance, people would think that she was at a disadvantage when against someone who wasn't using their arm as a weapon. Sure, she didn't have the greatest reach in the world, but Ruse knew that a weapon was only as good as it's wielder. Without needing to focus on holding some staff or blade, Ruse was able to focus on honing her body. With an arm that could block most metal attacks without taking damage to her Aura, it was surprisingly easy for her to get inside a person's weapon reach. As it was, she was currently weaving between two members of Team CBLT, throwing a jab here, a punch there, and firing off a Dust round from her palm to keep them honest. Brans and Terry were competent fighters, but they were far from the best people Ruse had fought. Her left arm clanged off Brans' shield, which was playing a big factor in drawing out the fight. Diti was doing her best in the trees, remaining hidden and firing off her Dust arrows to try and give Ruse an opening, but between the two guys, they would either dodge or deflect the arrows or the arrows would drop to the ground rather unusually.

Ruse was using her Semblance as best she could, but she was having trouble finding their shatterpoints. Whenever one was about to present itself, the other would shift and her own shatterpoint was at risk of being exposed. It was a tricky thing, her Semblance, and it had taken a while for her to master it. The more Aura she poured into it, the quicker the opponent's shatterpoint revealed itself, but simultaneously it reduced her combat capabilities since she was focusing so much into her Shatterpoint. So she fought on, ducking under another swing from the lion Faunus and blocking the spear of Brans with her left arm.

"Limbo!" Brans shouted suddenly and swung his spear high, intent on catching Ruse in the face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Terry swing low with his flamberge and knew what they were up to. A small shatterpoint appeared in Brans' knee and Ruse made her move. The VRDN second-in-command threw herself horizontal, passing between the two weapons and landing on her back. With a twist, she fired an ice Dust round at Brans, striking his knee and encasing his leg in ice. While he was distracted with trying to free himself, Diti added to the chaos and shot the spear out of Brans' hand.

With a snarl, Terry attempted to take advantage of Ruse's position and brought his flamberge down like a hammer, a loud clang echoing around the forest as the VRDN second-in-command blocked. She made to sweep her legs around to knock Terry to the ground, then realized just how sturdy he was. Abandoning the attempt, Ruse rolled to the side, out from Terry's attack and tried to push herself to her feet, but found her limbs feeling much heavier than normal.

"Looks like young Brans is keeping Ruse on the ground with his own Semblance," Port commented.

"Yes indeed, this young man has been blessed with the power to manipulate the gravity affecting certain objects, or in this case person," Oobleck elaborated, "And he's certainly picked a good time to use it." Ruse growled as she felt a boot on her back. Out of all the things her opponent had to have power over, it had to be one of the most powerful forces of nature.

"Yield," the deep voice of Terry commanded. Ruse didn't waste time with words, useless as they'd be. She focused on raising her arm subtly, as hard as that was in the intense gravity, taking aim at Brans. Then the VRDN second-in-command felt the earth rumble and grinned as she realized her teammate was taking matters into her own hands.

"Fuck off," she snapped and fired a lightning Dust round at Brans while the very earth beside her seemed to erupt, launching Terry into the air. Brans blocked with his shield, then staggered as the power within the Dust round discharged though his shield into him. Ruse was impressed with his stamina, as that lightning Dust round was strong enough to paralyze a fully grown Beowolf. More importantly, his Semblance was no longer working on her, which she took full advantage of and scrambled back to her feet, shedding her jacket in the process and eyeing Brans warily as he too rose from the ground. She kept her senses cast out for Terry, but the Faunus had disappeared. Ruse chanced a glance around for him, but her attention was drawn back to Brans as he clanged his spear against his shield.

"It's just you and me," Brans said simply, lowering his shield just a bit. "Your friend in the trees is going to find herself with a whole lotta trouble soon."

Ruse snorted. "Only if your friend could find her." She channeled her Semblance, focusing on Brans. The shatterpoint seemed to be around his shield, though why, Ruse wasn't entirely sure. The downside of Shatterpoint was that while her Semblance could reveal the weak points of enemies, it didn't entirely explain how to exploit those weak points. Still, it gave her something to work with. Ruse studied his posture, curious as to how he thought he would fare better on his own.

"Terry's more resourceful than you think," Brans said simply and charged, spear leveled at Ruse's chest. She took a step back, ready to get inside his reach as soon as he lunged. To his credit, he had apparently learned from their last bout and instead pulled up in his charge, leading with the shield instead of the spear. Brans was intent on keeping the shield between himself and her arm, poking out with his spear to keep her honest. That was fine with the VRDN second-in-command. If he wanted to play the long defensive game, it would end up in her favor once her Shatterpoint revealed all his weak points. She felt her limbs begin to grow sluggish again and she fired off another lightning Dust blast at his shield, the heavy feeling fading as Brans endured the shocks.

"None of that," Ruse said, glaring at Brans. He met her gaze evenly. Ruse could see a hint of nervousness in his otherwise stern glaze. "You don't make me heavy, I don't blast you."

Brans chuckled. "How can I trust you not to blast me anyways?"

"You can't," Ruse admitted, watching for another shatterpoint. "Just like I can't trust you not to make gravity suck. I'm just letting you know what'll happen if you try that again."

"You know what they say, if at first you don't succeed, try –" Brans began, then shut up as Ruse rocketed herself at him, having seen an opening while he was talking. There was a loud clang as her fist pounded his shield, sending strong vibrations up both their arms. Ruse continued her attack, using her feet as well as her arms to strike where Brans was exposed. Since she had gotten so close, Brans was having trouble using his spear. In desperation, he began using his Semblance again, but Ruse channeled her Aura into her limbs to power through the increased gravity and continue to hammer away at the CBLT member's defense. The VRDN second in command was beginning to understand why the big shatterpoint was concentrated on his shield. She jumped, planting a firm ax-kick onto the shield and sending Brans sprawling, his concentration broken. Without his Semblance to slow her down, Ruse continued her assault, hammering away at his shield. He was slowly wearing down. She could feel it. The shatterpoint in his shield was starting to grow, and Ruse finally realized just what her Semblance was trying to tell her. His defense was weakening, his Aura starting to grow feebler, Ruse reared back, gathering her own Aura into her metal fist. A sudden buzz caught both their attention.

"Ooo, and it looks like Team CBLT is on the board first as Terry manages to knock Diti's Aura into the danger zone and as such she is eliminated from the battle," Port's voice rang out, causing Ruse to hesitate in surprise.

"Yes, once Diti lost the element of surprise she was rather easily overwhelmed, but all is not lost for Team VRDN," Oobleck added. "We'll see how long this remains a 4v3 match as Ruse seems to have overpowered Brans."

Brans chuckled from behind his shield. "Told you."

"I'll deal with him after I'm done with you," Ruse shot back and thrust her metal arm forward, striking Brans' shield not too hard, but not too softly with her palm. The shield shattered into medium sized triangle shaped pieces, falling to the ground around the stunned Brans.

"How?!" he gasped, letting the two shield handles fall from his hands. Ruse nearly laughed at the stunned look on his features.

"You have your Semblance, I have mine," Ruse answered, pointing her glowing palm at his face. "Now then, you fancy your chances or are you going to be smart about this?" Brans appeared to be weighing his options. His hand twitched towards his spear, then froze as Ruse fired a fire Dust round next to his head, creating a small crater by his ear. "Next one goes into your chest, and that's not going to look cool," Ruse warned.

The CBLT team member grinned, which was a red flag to Ruse. "No, it wouldn't, but I did buy enough time."

"Sonuva-" Ruse swore as she dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the horizontal slash of Terry's flamberge.

The earpiece suddenly buzzed in her ear. _"Ruse, do you need help?"_ Gwyn's concerned voice asked, even as the sounds of combat hummed in the background. It sounded rather windy.

The VRDN second-in-command cast a judging eye towards her two opponents as the Faunus helped Brans to his feet. Without his shield, Brans was a much easier target, and his Aura certainly had to be close to the elimination range. Terry had several scorch marks on his clothing and he was covered with dirt, a sign that Diti hadn't gone down without a struggle. A quick glance at the meter in her arm confirmed that her own Aura was still above 50%, certainly in better shape than the two facing her. Without Diti in the trees, they would be able to focus completely on her, but Ruse was prepared for that.

"I think I can handle this," she replied quietly, wincing as she heard Gwyn's groan as some attack get through his defenses. "You focus on keeping yourself in this match."

_"Very funny. Over and out."_ He didn't sound amused. Ruse couldn't blame him. She was frustrated that she had one of Team CBLT at her mercy and couldn't finish him off, but she wasn't ruthless enough to blast someone in that position. That wasn't how Beacon Academy worked.

Terry pointed his flamberge at her. "How did you shatter his shield?"

"How did you find Diti?" Ruse countered, taking a step backwards as she saw Brans begin edging to the side, obviously trying to flank her. She wasn't going to let that happen easily.

The lion Faunus grinned. "My Semblance allows me to track down anything through their Aura, or the lack of it in the case of Grimm. Your friend had great camouflage, but she couldn't hide her Aura. Now answer my question."  
Ruse nodded in understanding. If Terry had truly gotten the drop on her because she had thought herself well hidden, then Diti hadn't stood a chance. Now then, in the spirit of fair exchange. "My Semblance is what I call the Shatterpoint. If I focus on something, I'll be able to see a weak spot and can use my Aura to cause that object to shatter." Ruse decided not to tell them about her spotting their weak points in their fighting styles. Let them believe she could only affect their weapons. "I am sorry about the shield, but a battle's a battle."

Brans glared at her, but Terry chuckled. "He'd been talking about upgrading his shield eventually. This will just force him to do it before the next round."

Ruse opened her metal palm, the interior glowing dangerously as she aimed it at the lion Faunus. "This fight isn't over yet." With that, she fired a simple fire Dust round at Terry, engaging the three of them in combat once more. She wasn't going to falter, not at this stage. Ruse could go all day if she had to.

**VRDN Line Break**

To say that the battle between CBLT and VRDN in the streets of the was intense would've been a disservice to that battle. As much as Gwyn didn't want to admit it, they were evenly matched. Between the ferocity of Nikki, the precision of Gwyn, the agility of Lilo, and the speed of Cole, neither side had actually gained an advantage over the other. Those claws of Cole's were very irritating to the two sword users of VRDN. The news that Diti had gone down didn't exactly fill Gwyn with confidence, though it had seemingly emboldened both Cole and Lilo to try something new. They had taken cover behind an ice wall of Cole's and a windstorm pushed back any attempt Gwyn and Nikki made to advance. With no way through, they'd fallen back behind a building to take cover.

"She can't keep that up forever," Gwyn noted, peering around the corner. Gunfire pinged off the wall, forcing him to yank his head back.

"I hate this," Nikki pouted. "They aren't giving me a chance to use my big gun." She'd shifted _Evanescer_ into its most powerful form, a bazooka that didn't have many shots, but Nikki didn't need a lot of ammo to cause a massive amount of destruction.

"We can do this," Gwyn told her, reassuring himself as much as his teammate. Truth be told, he welcomed the brief respite. Those two were a great team, but so was he and Nikki. "Nikki, you trust me, right?"

Her grey eyes grew wide. "You only ask me that when you're about to do something reckless!"

"I'm going to be the bait," Gwyn explained, "and you're going to be the hammer." He met her gaze evenly and grinned. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"I blow you up along with CBLT," Nikki said flatly. She cocked _Evanescer_ and pointed at the crumbling rooftop. "Give me a minute to get up there, then go do your thing."

"You have thirty seconds," Gwyn replied, transforming _Ecglead_ into its shotgun form. He heard some of the rubble shift as Nikki went to do her task. After a mental count, he darted into the street, firing two shells at the ice wall. Cole leaped out, small machine guns rattling off their charges and forcing Gwyn to dive to the side. He fired another double blast before shifting _Ecglead_ back into its blade form and charging. Cole must've had the same idea, extending his claws out and catching Gwyn's overhead strike.

"Awful cocky coming out here alone," Cole taunted, "You send your girlfriend off to help your teammates, did you really think you could take both of us?"

Gwyn met the gaze of the Team CBLT leader with a steady gaze. "Let's find out, shall we?" He darted in, his weapon shifting back to its katana form as he held it above his head, ready to swing down. Cole smirked as he extended the claws on his weapon, ready to catch the VRDN leader's swing. Gwyn tensed his muscles, as if he were to strike and he saw his opening.

Cole had closed his eyes to brace for impact. It was a brief moment of weakness, but it was something Gwyn could seize upon. With a motion learned from many hours of practice, he thumbed the switch on his weapon and dropped to the ground in front of the CBLT leader, _Ecglead_ in its shotgun form now. Cole opened his eyes to see a grinning Gwyn with a double barrel shotgun pointed right at his belly. Gwyn nearly laughed as he saw the look of shock on Cole's face morph into resignation in the span of a split second as he fired both barrels of his shotgun into the cryokinetic's gut, launching him backwards. He didn't have long to savor the success of his attack, as he found himself being bombarded by a cold blast of wind.

Lilo had appeared over the ice barrier and she did not look happy. That was all Gwyn saw before he was basically engulfed in a blizzard. Apparently Cole had created a pile of snow on the other side of the wall and now the aerokinetic was using her Semblance to effectively create a blizzard on the battlefield. Gwyn used a hand to keep his fedora on his head as he tried to withstand the gale, the other shifting his weapon back into its katana form to ward off any surprise attacks. He hated the cold. The crack of a gunshot rang out through the blizzard and Gwyn found his hand frozen to his hat, ice Dust being the culprit. With a growl, the VRDN leader began to channel his own Semblance, green flames beginning to dance along his blade. With a swift tap, Gwyn brought his katana blade up and freed his hand, blocking another shot that was aimed for his face in the same action. He had to end this blizzard quickly. Concentrating his Semblance into his blade, he spun, creating a wall of green and black fire that warmed his body from the continuous stream of cold air and melted the snow that had kept him from seeing. That task accomplished, Gwyn let the flames die to conserve his Aura. He beheld Lilo standing on top of the ice barrier, her bo staff split into two and transformed into twin long pistols, both pointed at Gwyn.

Lilo surprised Gwyn by not firing, but speaking instead. "You know, I keep getting Cole with that same move you pulled off, you'd think he'd have learned by now."

Gwyn sneaked a glance at his watch, which was connected to his Scroll, to check the Aura of his teammates. Diti was crossed out with a red 11% next to her name, having been knocked out moments prior. Ruse was around half, which meant that she was doing better than her opponents. Nikki was slightly under half Aura, this battle taking its toll on both of them. The VRDN leader couldn't suppress a grimace at his own Aura level. 29% was dangerously close to the 15% line that would officially eliminate him from the battle. He hoped Nikki would strike soon. He wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. Might was well buy a little time. "Tell him to stop closing his eyes then."

Lilo nodded, peering down her sights at him. "I'll let him know after I've knocked you out." With that, she fired, Gwyn leaning out of the way of the first shot coolly. She had the high ground on him, but if Gwyn could eliminate that advantage, then perhaps he could take her out before Cole had recovered. Time for a gutsy play. He began to channel his Semblance again. It was going to put him even closer to the danger zone, but it would be worth it. Green flames began to sizzle along his blade as he sped forward in a serpentine pattern, shifting from side to side at the crack of Lilo's guns. With a mighty diagonal upwards slash, Gwyn cut through the ice barrier, shattering it and causing the light-footed Lilo to stumble, her sturdy ground not so sturdy anymore.

A wordless battle cry escaped Gwyn's lips as he thrust upwards, intent on catching the falling Lilo when a black and icy blue blur cut across his vision and plucked Lilo away just before _Ecglead_ could connect with the CBLT member. With a frustrated grunt, Gwyn spun and with a flick of his blade sent a wave of green and black fire after his opponents. He didn't care that it costed him valuable Aura, he had to vent his dissatisfaction somehow. The VRDN leader could feel the ache in his body as he tried to deal with the fatigue of using his Semblance, but he had to power through. A beep from his watch warned him he was below 20%. He didn't care. They weren't going to leave in the first round this year!

Cole spun and blocked the incoming attack from Gwyn with his claws, dropping Lilo to defend her from the attack. She twisted in the air, almost catlike as she landed lightly on her feet, sharing an appreciative glance with Cole as the two charged Gwyn. Gwyn raised his blade, knowing that this was probably his last stand. The first few blows they exchanged were lightning quick, Gwyn dancing between the two of them and using his blade to parry every strike. His earpiece chimed.

"_Ready!"_ Nikki nearly shouted, concern in her voice.

"Do it!" Gwyn snapped, "I'll be fine."

Lilo stepped back, confusion on her face after hearing his words. "What?" The VRDN leader didn't give her time to think about it, planted a boot in Cole's side and diving towards her. He heard a familiar whistle and allowed Lilo to swat him aside with her bo staff. He couldn't hold back a grunt of pain as he slammed into a pile of rubble. A loud buzz sounded, followed by a large explosion. Gwyn was buffeted by the shock wave as he tried to stand up. His limbs felt like lead. A glance at his watch told him what he already felt. His Aura was at 7%, he was out. He couldn't get involved in the fight again without disqualifying his team, a rule instituted to prevent any interference from the eliminated as they left the field of play.

The Semblance powered Shout of Nikki reached his ears. **"TAKE THIS!"** He watched as his partner came crashing down from above, brightly colored broadsword in both hands as she landed on top of a surprised Cole, the Shout knocking Lilo to the ground as she had tried to leap away from the explosion of _Evanescer._ Another buzz from above signaled an elimination.

"Looks like both team leaders have been eliminated," Port's deep voice announced to the crowd. Gwyn had been vaguely aware of their running commentary during the bout, but now that he wasn't a part of the combat anymore he could actually make sense of their words.

"Yes indeed," the fast voice of Oobleck added. "Gwyn goes down at the end of an absolutely ferocious two v one as he bought enough time for Nikki to bring a furious strike from above! Now she's advancing on Lilo, who is on the brink of being eliminated!"

Gwyn pumped his fist as he made his way to the edge of the arena. He couldn't stay around and watch, lingering wouldn't help his team. "Go get em Nikki!"

**VRDN Line Break**

Ruse ducked under the heavy slash of Terry's flamberge, leaning to the side to avoid the thrust of Brans' spear. They had been fighting smart. Since Brans had lost his shield to Ruse's Semblance, he'd been staying behind Terry and using the large Faunus as a shield, poking out at Ruse to stop her from getting in on the lion Faunus. The recent announcement of their team leaders going down and their teammate on the brink of elimination had given the duo a desperate edge that Ruse was ready to take advantage of. She nearly had their shatterpoints identified and was about to go in hard. Just one more round. She could feel it. Her Aura was getting lower, but given how the combat had been a game of cat and mouse for the past several minutes, neither side taking the bait of the other, their Aura had to be in a much more dire situation.

Terry stepped back, breathing heavily. Ruse was grateful for the reprieve, as she was getting winded as well. The lion Faunus saluted Ruse with his sword. "You are one of the most infuriating fighters I've ever faced."

Ruse tilted her head, mildly amused by that backhanded compliment. Her shatterpoint allowed her to slip away from the worst possible scenarios in most combats, and as such she could see where he could come to that conclusion. As it was, she just decided to take the praise for what it was. "Thanks. You guys have great teamwork, covering for each other like that."

Terry accepted that with a nod. "Now then, let's finish this!" Ruse saw Brans shift his weapon over to the sniper rifle and saw the shatterpoint glimmer in her vision. This was it. Terry charged, flamberge held level at his shoulders, ready to guard against Ruse's attacks. Ruse chambered on of her remaining Dust rounds into her palm gun, a special round that was meant for more specialized occasions, but her Semblance was telling her that it would be useful now. She fired the special round, a concoction of fire, wind, and electric Dust, at Terry's feet and leaped. Terry's eyes followed the shot as it landed in front of him and exploded in a brilliant flash of white light, effectively blinding the lion Faunus' sensitive eyes temporarily. Ruse used her opponent as a springboard, shooting a fire Dust round into his back for a little extra height as she channeled her Aura into her metal arm. Brans didn't stand a chance, startled as he was by the Dust flashbang. As soon as she'd followed through on her punch to the CBLT member, Ruse was on the move, ignoring the buzz marking the elimination of Brans and she had her arm up next to Terry's neck, ready to fire.

Terry froze as he felt the warm metal of Ruse's arm on his neck. He knew exactly what that meant. His sword slipped from his hands as he held his arms up, blinking profusely to try and get the dots out of his vision. "Good one."

Ruse grinned. "If it makes you feel any better, I was saving that for a special occasion."

Terry chuckled as the buzzer rang out again, acknowledging his surrender. "Glad you think I'm worthy of a special occasion."

Professor Port's voice boomed out. "And just like that, Ruse Brand has just scored a double elimination in a wonderful display of misdirection and combat awareness in a lengthy two versus one bout!"

"Yes indeed," Oobleck chimed in. "Despite losing her teammate early on in the fight she kept her cool and eventually prevailed in a stunning finale!"

"You guys better go on to win this tourney," Terry added as he helped the stunned Brans to his feet. "Cause we're gonna get you guys next year!" He held out his hand to Ruse, her Semblance telling her there was no malice behind it.

"We'll be waiting for you," Ruse said as she shook his hand. This was what the Vytal Festival was all about, creating new bonds through the fires of combat. Now for the more important matter at hand. Ruse turned and ran towards the sounds of combat, ready to help her teammate if needed. The match wasn't over yet.

**VRDN Line Break**

Nikki was glad to hear the double buzzer signify Ruse's victory, but she was too frustrated trying to hit this nimble little aerokinetic that was dipping and dodging all her swings. A quick glance at the scoreboard showed that she had effectively double the Aura that Lilo had, but it didn't matter if she couldn't hit the CBLT member! The colorful member of VRDN swung her broadsword high, forcing Lilo to duck under. She pushed Nikki away with a gust of wind, twirling her staff as she practically floated away on a self-generated breeze. Nikki took the gust head on, charging through recklessly as she was wont to do.

"My, it seems that young Nickel is having trouble getting a hold of Lilo," Port noted, a hint of amusement in his voice that only infuriated the VRDN member. "Miss Makani is showing she is still very agile despite being near the elimination line."

"Yes indeed, but with Ruse on the way I dare say it's only a matter of time before Team VRDN finishes this match!" Oobleck pointed out.

"I won't need Ruse to finish this," Nikki growled to herself as she swung _Evanescer _at Lilo's feet, prompted her to leap high into the air. Nikki grinned as she saw the opportunity. In her exhaustion, Lilo had made a fatal error. Gathering her Aura, she inhaled deeply. Her Shout reverberated throughout the floating arena. **"GET OUTTA HERE!"** Lilo tried to twist out of the way of the incoming soundwave of power, but she was just too slow and the next thing the CBLT member knew she was faceplanting against the barrier protecting the crowd.

"Oooo," Oobleck winced, "That's gonna sting in the morning, but more importantly the last member of Team CBLT has been eliminated by both ring out and by Aura levels, and with two eligible members left, Team VRDN has won this thrilling match of second year teams!" The crowd went wild with cheers, applauding both sides for a hard-fought match.

Gwyn was waiting by the entrance with Diti as Nikki and Ruse approached, the latter having retrieved her brown leather jacket and having slung it over her shoulder. The team was covered in sweat and dust and Gwyn was certain he was going to have some lovely bruises in the morning, but all he felt at the moment was relief.

A familiar female voice from the stands got his attention. He only heard it since his name was in her shout. "Oy, Vyrnyr!" Looking up, he saw the familiar blue eyes of his childhood friend, Dani Silva, peering down at him from the crowd's edge. He could barely hear her over the roar of the crowd. "Nice win!"

"Is that her?" a tired Nikki asked, following her partner's gaze into the stands. "The infamous Dani you've been writing to from time to time?"

Gwyn nodded. "Aye. I'll talk to her later. For now, I just want a nice hot shower."

"You're gonna have to wait on that one," Ruse said, "I got first dibs."

**There we go, the 4v4 round is done, I'll be working on the 2v2 round on stream, follow me on twitch if you wanna see the writing process I go through. I also have a twitter and a discord, twitter is nuttybuddy792 and the discord invite link is in my bio. I like engaging in conversation, so please, come hang out!**

**Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? I like any and all constructive criticism, so please feel free to leave a review. **

**And for those who follow me for Chaos Unleashed, don't worry, the next chapter is with my editor right now and should be up by the end of the week. Until the next chapter my friends!**

**From your Nutty Buddy,**

**The Eagle Nut**


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